


Sweet and Sour Summer

by ZippyZapmeister



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Creampie, F/F, Fireworks, Futanari, Humor, Oral Sex, Outdoor Sex, Spanking, Summer Vacation, by humor i just mean dia suffering constantly, like i always say: at least as much humor as i can manage, maru being a little shit, which isn't a lot.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-15 21:43:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15422238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZippyZapmeister/pseuds/ZippyZapmeister
Summary: After being away from her girlfriend since the year began, Dia's looking forward to her summer break. But what happens when Hanamaru begins to act a little strange?[Sequel to Holiday Nostalgia.]





	Sweet and Sour Summer

**Author's Note:**

> Heyyyy guys i never got over holiday nostalgia apparently wefbhjwebfwjbhef

The snow that had frosted the Uchiura grass seemed to melt quickly when Dia and Hanamaru parted ways. Dia had never been enchanted by the holiday season, even as a child, but being with Hanamaru for her break had changed things greatly. There was something magical surrounding the season, there was something special about catching a snowflake on your tongue and seeing the cold-kissed rosy cheeks of your lover. Dia was almost angry that she had been missing out on that her whole life, even though what she was really missing was love.

 

She was even angrier when break ended.

 

School was easy for her. Academics always came naturally to her. However, once her holiday ended and she had to go back on campus, nothing felt the same. How could she stare down a microscope when Hanamaru was miles upon miles away? How could she read literature when she knew that somewhere else, Hanamaru was reading her own book, all by herself? Even though it was an embarrassing comparison for Dia to make, it was like a manga series that had ended: the characters’ lives moved on, and they had new experiences (or maybe even old ones), but Dia didn’t know about any of it.

 

Of course, Dia didn’t want to seem clingy, even though Hanamaru was rather affectionate herself. She didn’t want to be the type of partner to constantly ask where you were and what you were doing, but that certainly would have helped her feel closer to Hanamaru. That was her problem, bottom line: she missed Hanamaru. She missed being near her. She wanted to know every little detail so that she could form an image of Hanamaru in her mind, even if it was probably heavily embellished.

 

Dia survived the torture of their semi-long-distance (a three-hour drive was long enough for Dia to feel the pain) relationship, though, even if sometimes she felt like tearing her own heart out to make the pain stop. After winter break ended, she told herself the same thing, over and over...

 

“Spring break will be here soon,” she’d whisper to herself, after hanging up with Hanamaru from a day-long video chat. “Then we can see each other again. That should be enough to last me until summer.”

 

The vague “soon” eventually got closer and closer. “Soon” turned to “a month”. “A month” turned into “two weeks”. “Two weeks” turned into Dia waiting for Hanamaru to let her know when she was getting on the road.

 

But that time never came.

 

Instead, Dia got a solemn phone call. Hanamaru usually video called whenever she could, after figuring out how to do it, so a phone call said something ominous. Hanamaru didn’t even say hello. She answered, “I have some bad news, zura.”

 

“Can’t be that bad.”

 

“It is.”

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m safe, nobody’s hurt,” Hanamaru said. That soothed Dia, but one look at her calendar let her gut know that something else might be in danger: her spring break with Hanamaru. And her gut was never wrong. “Look, I hate to pull a Ruby-chan on you, but...I-I don’t think I’m going to be able to make it there for break.”

 

Well, that wasn’t too bad, in Dia’s delusional mind. “That’s fine! I’ll come up there.”

 

“Dia-chan, the problem isn’t transportation. I’m, like, three hundred percent behind on my coursework, zura.” That wasn’t new, but Hanamaru’s tone sounded a lot more serious than the usual “whoopsy, I missed a few assignments”. “Even if you get up here, I don’t know how much free time I’ll have.”

 

Dia sank into the bed of her dorm, staring at the ceiling. “...Oh. I understand. It doesn’t matter to me. S-schooling is important, after all. I wouldn’t want to be the reason behind you failing...although, you should be a little more responsible!”

 

Dia made sure to put on the same front, her voice stern. But her lip was quivering. _Fuck me...am I about to cry? Don’t cry. Don’t cry!_ Hanamaru giggled gently. “I know, I know, I will. I’m super sorry, zura! Forgive me? Pretty please?”

 

Not forgiving Hanamaru? Dia would dig her own grave before she did that, even if she wouldn’t say it aloud. Dia thought back to a couple months earlier, when Ruby had cancelled her plans to come down for Christmas. She felt a little bad, knowing that her reaction to Ruby was a lot more explosive than her reaction to Hanamaru. “I’ll think about it,” Dia said simply.

 

Hanamaru skipped a beat, then said, “Have you thought about it, zura?”

 

That earned Hanamaru a laugh. Dia was glad the subject was being changed somewhat, because it was hard to hide how disappointed she was. “Yes, I have. You’re...a little bit forgiven.”

 

“That’ll work for now.” They shared a smile. Dia could hear it in Hanamaru’s voice. “Promise you won’t bully Maru when she comes this summer...”

 

“Aren’t you the one always bullying me?!”

 

“Yeah, but I’m never mean about it,” Hanamaru argued. “Don’t act like you don’t like it when I tease you, Dia.”

 

Something about the way Hanamaru said Dia’s name, no suffixes needed, made Dia tremble. Her voice deepened just enough for it to be sexy but still playful. Damn that girl, telling Dia she’d have to wait even longer to get some action but still having the nerve to tease over the phone. “I don’t,” Dia said, trying to steer the conversation away from where Hanamaru was taking it. There was definitely a possibility that Hanamaru was trying to get Dia off as an apology, but it was the middle of the day, and Dia had no idea where her dorm-mate went or when she’d be back.

 

“You don’t? That’s funny, zura,” Hanamaru said, her voice going back to its normal honeyed tone. There was something sinister about it, still. Dia placed her hand over the front of her pants, feeling the half-chub forming there. Hanamaru never played fair. “Because I’m thinking about winter break, the night before I left...remember, Dia? We were sitting in your bedroom, and you were trying to act all tough when I was playing with you under the table at dinner...but I barely had to touch you before you were coming all over yourself and begging for me to do it again-”

 

“Okay, stop, stop, stop,” Dia said. “Fine. I like being teased, every now and again. Christ.”

 

Hanamaru sounded surprised that Dia had called quits so fast. “Good to know. Not like I was gonna stop anyway. I’m gonna go take a nap before I dive into this work, okay?”

 

“Call me when you wake up,” Dia said. She was too delirious to make a comment on how Hanamaru should go work instead of taking a nap. She was thinking about that night again, too. As soon as they hung up, Dia shuffled in her bed, trying to find the least suspicious position to jerk off in. However, she stopped momentarily as her thoughts caught up with her.

 

Was it just her, or did Hanamaru not sound too apologetic? Sure, she did the common decency of letting Dia know and saying sorry, but...Dia had expected her to sound a little more upset. Or was it just Dia, who was too sensitive? ...No, of course not. It was never her who was in the wrong.

 

 _Hanamaru rarely hides how she’s feeling,_ Dia thought, her hand snaking into her briefs. _It was me who was hiding, though. Maybe I should have acted a little more sad that I couldn’t see her. Not that it would be an act._ She sighed as her hand met the length of her dick. She was at full mast by then, thinking of Hanamaru making her finish quick and then licking every drop of Dia’s mess up until Dia was hard all over again.

 

Summer had to come fast.

* * *

Time moved slowly. Worst of all, Hanamaru wasn’t kidding when she said she was behind. Dia hardly got to speak to her, and when she did get the chance, Hanamaru was dozing off and complained of headaches. It made Dia regret their distance even more; not because of her own selfish motives, but because she wasn’t there to give Hanamaru the kind of support that couldn’t quite be given over the phone or over a video call. Dia knew Hanamaru wasn’t used to working hard, even though she should have been. While Hanamaru was amazing at comforting Dia over the phone, Dia could barely rise to that level of maternal care even in real life.

 

Through the spring, though, Hanamaru seemed to be...less motherly. Dia assumed it was a matter of Hanamaru being tired, but even when she was surprisingly chipper, there was something about her that had changed. Dia was so used to the doting Hanamaru that had brought her up and continued to bring her up even in her young adult years. All of a sudden, it had all stopped. And Dia didn’t like it.

 

Summer vacation was three weeks away when Dia decided to lay out a little bait. “I haven’t eaten all day,” she lied. Saying she hadn’t eaten was like slapping Hanamaru in the face...

 

...Usually. At that moment, though, Hanamaru simply snickered, rather than demanding Dia to go eat or sending her recipes to try out. “You and me both, zura! I had a bagel this morning, but that was, oh, more than twelve hours ago? That’s the college life, I suppose. My tummy’s growling, though!”

 

Dia hummed boredly in agreement. Then, she tried, “I haven’t been sleeping, either.”

 

Would that earn Dia a command to go take a nap, and rest her mind? No, no, it didn’t. “It’s kind of a busy season, zura.”

 

“Yeah,” Dia deadpanned. _One last time. I’ll give her one last chance._ “I think I’m coming down with a cold!” Dia faked a cough. It sounded pretty good to her. She was quite the good actress, in her own opinion. “But, I don’t care. I think I’m going to go to the gym anyway!”

 

“Exercise those germs right on out!”

 

She wasn’t even being condemned to bedrest?! Hanamaru was definitely acting strange. Dia wondered if Hanamaru was getting sick, herself. Not that Dia was actually getting sick... “I guess that’s possible, but wouldn’t it be more effective for me to stay inside? And get some rest?”

 

“I think you know better than me what you’re feeling up to, zura.” That was the perfect response, in Dia’s opinion, because she usually hated being bossed around...but it wasn’t the perfect response for _Hanamaru._ That wasn’t a Hanamaru response at all. Dia tried to think of one more effort to restore Hanamaru’s motherly qualities, but then Hanamaru sighed. “I better stop fooling around, Dia-chan, and get some work done. I’ll call you before I go to bed so we can say night-night!”

 

That was the first time they’d said goodnight in a while, so Dia was ready for Hanamaru’s final test: the verbal tuck-in.

 

Hanamaru had tucked Dia in a lot when they were younger, and over holiday break, she had done the same thing. However, tucking someone in was a lot harder to do when you weren’t physically there, so Hanamaru would make Dia stay on the phone while Dia tucked herself in, then she would kiss through the phone and ask Dia if she was “all wrapped up”. It was embarrassing, especially when Dia’s dorm-mate had obviously caught on to what was happening, but Dia didn’t _hate_ it.

 

That night, when Hanamaru called, Dia was prepared for the tuck-in as they wrapped up their conversation. But she kept waiting, and kept waiting, and kept waiting, until Hanamaru finally yawned in her ear. “Mmph, I’m getting drowsy...Maru’s been workin’ hard today!”

 

“I’m proud,” Dia said. “At least we know you’ll be all free for summer...”

 

“Yup! Let’s see some fireworks. Ooh, ooh, and go swimming...and eat some ice cream! It’ll be a blast,” Hanamaru squealed. “Good night, Dia-chan. I love you.”

 

“I...” Dia paused. Why was Hanamaru being so...not Hanamaru? It perplexed her. Hell, it was more than being perplexed...she fucking missed it! She missed being “tucked in”, she missed being fussed over, she missed the cute little kisses through the phone! _I want the onee-chan Hanamaru back,_ Dia thought sourly. _As reluctant as I am to admit it._ Then, she realized that she hadn’t finished saying what she had to say. Not wanting Hanamaru to think something was wrong, she faked a yawn, then said, “Sorry, I dozed off for a moment there. I love you, too, Hanamaru. Sleep tight.”

 

Dia hung up, her covers untucked and her face fallen. Even though Hanamaru never _really_ tucked her in over the phone, Dia still didn’t sleep well without it.

* * *

Conversations remained scarce, until the summer finally arrived. Dia could tell that there was a lack of communication going on between them; not in terms of quantity, but in terms of quality. There was something Hanamaru was feeling that she wasn’t letting Dia know about, and there was something Dia was feeling that she wasn’t letting Hanamaru know about. Dia prayed that it was just the distance getting to their head, and that everything would be normal once they got to see each other.

 

They met in Uchiura, but Dia arrived first, with her university being a bit closer than Hanamaru’s. Hanamaru arrived an hour behind her, driving her clunker of a car right into Dia’s driveway. Dia had been sitting in her bedroom when she heard Hanamaru’s car wheeze in front of the house. She tried to hold herself together while Hanamaru got out of the car, but it was impossible. Dia breezed down the stairs and opened the front door. “Hanamaru,” she called.

 

Hanamaru looked up and gave Dia a smile that rivaled the sun. Dia’s heart ached with joy, but she remained at least somewhat calm, just smiling back coolly. “Dia-chan!” Hanamaru was removing her overnight bag from the car. Dia waited for her to drop it and run over for a hug, but Hanamaru took her sweet time. _Oh, calm down, Dia. You’re exaggerating the problem,_ she thought.

 

Finally, Hanamaru came over, holding Dia tight. Her head barely came up to Dia’s neck, so Dia easily buried her face in the crown of Hanamaru’s hair, sighing in relief. Maybe there wasn’t really an issue. It was certainly all in Dia’s head. That made her want to hold on even tighter, but Hanamaru pulled back, looking at Dia’s face and rearranging her hair casually. “You look beautiful. As always,” Dia said.

 

“Flatterer,” Hanamaru shot back. “It’s _you_ that looks good. Have you been working out, zura?”

 

“A little. I don’t eat very well, admittedly...so I decided to start going to the gym.” Dia’s voice stayed steady as she spoke, but her mind was going in circles as Hanamaru felt up her arms. “We could go in the house if you want to play doctor, Hanamaru. It’s hotter than hell out here.”

 

“Sorry, sorry,” Hanamaru said. She took Dia by the hand and lead her into the house as if it were her own. “Where’s Ruby-chan? Is she home yet?”

 

Dia shook her head. They sat on the couch together, and Dia prepared to be cuddled to death, but Hanamaru simply lounged on the couch, giving Dia what felt like way too much space. “No. My parents are driving up to get her. They should be back in a couple of hours.”

 

“What? Why didn’t they go get you, zura?!”

 

“Because I didn’t ask them to,” Dia said, chuckling. For the first time in a while, Hanamaru was showing signs of the worrying girlfriend Dia knew her to be. That was a relief. “Ruby did, however. Besides, if they had came to get me, chances are I would be in the car with them right now, on my way to get Ruby. Less time to spend with you.”

 

“Aww. How thoughtful.” Was that a tease Dia heard? She sort of hoped it was. “But, really, Dia-chan...is it about spending time with me, or being alone with me, zura?”

 

 _The latter. Definitely the latter._ “What’s the difference?”

 

“One is spending time with me. One is asking for naughty things,” Hanamaru said, matter-of-factly.

 

That was the Hanamaru Dia knew. Throwing the bait, and waiting for Dia to take it. And, by God, Dia was going to take it. “I guess I’d like to be alone with you, then,” Dia said, giving Hanamaru that smirk that drove Hanamaru crazy.

 

But Hanamaru didn’t seem to be going crazy. Instead, she simply clucked her tongue, looking away. “That’s too bad, zura. I made dinner plans with Yoshiko-chan tonight. By the time we get back, your parents and Ruby-chan might be home...we’ll figure out something,” Hanamaru said. Dia sat there, shell-shocked. What the fuck? What had she done wrong? Even when they were apart, their relationship had a clearly set pattern: Hanamaru doled out the love and the teasing, and Dia returned it and succumbed to it, respectively. So why was Hanamaru acting like something had changed? “I’ll be back tonight, though.”

 

She stood up, stretching. Dia nodded like a zombie, too stuck in her own thoughts to give a proper response. “Yes. Um...have fun. I-I’ll put your bag in my room, then.”

 

“Really? You’re a sweetie. I’ll let you know what restaurant we go to, just in case you want me to bring you a doggy bag,” Hanamaru said. She gave Dia a kiss on the cheek, and then Dia heard her car roaring out of the driveway.

 

Dia sat there, her jaw dropping when she finally realized what had just happened. That wasn’t the usual brand of Hanamaru teasing. Hanamaru would tease and then give Dia exactly what she wanted a few moments later, not tease and then just _leave._ And it seemed intentional, too. Spiteful. And yet she was smiling the whole time!

 

Dia groaned. Hanamaru had always been a little cryptic, but she was reaching new levels. Dia didn’t want to deal with it. She wanted to have a good summer break with her girlfriend, for God’s sake! But it seemed like her summer was turning into a puzzle. Well, maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. At least she never got bored with a girl like Hanamaru.

* * *

Dia had hoped against hope that Hanamaru was wrong about how long she’d take, but that wasn’t the case. Hanamaru didn’t come back to the Kurosawa household until Ruby had been home for quite a while. And then, when she came in, she went straight to hug Ruby, as well as the sisters’ parents, who had adored Hanamaru since she and Ruby were in diapers. It was heartwarming, admittedly, but not heartwarming enough for Dia to stave off her jealousy. There Hanamaru was, giving hugs and “how have you been?”s to everyone in Dia’s immediate family except _Dia._

 

Finally, _finally,_ Hanamaru broke from the little family circle she had inserted herself into. They went up to Dia’s room, and Dia shut the door tight as Hanamaru lounged on her bed. Dia forced herself not to be too obviously bitter or jealous; Hanamaru had more things and people in Uchiura than Dia, and Dia knew it would be unfair to be outwardly angry about it. “How was Yoshiko-san?”

 

Hanamaru tore her eyes from the ceiling, her limbs splayed out across Dia’s sheets. She was wearing a cute pair of denim shorts and a loose, sunflower-colored tee. It really did feel like summer. “You always ask, but I’m never sure what answer you want, zura.”

 

“I’d be happy to know she gave up that fallen angel nonsense.”

 

“Then you won’t be too happy with my response.”

 

“Forget I asked.” Dia climbed into bed next to Hanamaru, but Hanamaru coughed nervously, making Dia shy away. “What? What was that?”

 

“Um...we can cuddle up later tonight,” Hanamaru said sheepishly. “Ruby-chan wanted me to come hang out in her room for a bit.”

 

 _Oh, come on! Are you serious?! She’s leaving again?! After the long, long wait...she can’t even bother to stay?_ Dia pushed down her longing once again, then smiled and nodded. “Alright. It’d probably be more comfortable for us to get in bed together later, anyway, once we’ve bathed and got into our pajamas.”

 

Hanamaru’s face soured. “Yup,” she said dryly. Did she not like pajamas or something? “Wait up for me, zura.” Hanamaru gave Dia an amazingly chaste kiss on the forehead before slipping out of bed and walking over to Ruby’s room. Dia looked at the clock, noticing that it was seven PM. Hanamaru wouldn’t be long, considering how early she liked to go to bed.

 

Dia rearranged her figurines, a nervous habit, then tidied her room up a bit more. She went down to the kitchen for a snack, and on her way back up to her room, she heard Hanamaru and Ruby whispering, as if they were conspiring. They weren’t too good at whispering, though. Dia could hear a couple of words.

 

“...so clueless. I’ve been throwing out every hint I can think of, and she’s just acting like nothing changed.”

 

“She’s not clueless, Maru-chan, she’s just...more of an analytical thinker. Taking things at face value is hard for her. Trust me, she’s probably overthinking this as we speak.”

 

“There’s nothing to overthink! Isn’t it obvious what I want, zura?”

 

Dia’s lips tightened into a thin line. They were definitely talking about her. And, sure, maybe Ruby was kind of right, Dia _was_ an analytical thinker, and she was definitely thinking about Hanamaru’s recent behavior a lot...but she knew how to take things at face value! Whatever Hanamaru was trying to throw hints about, Dia knew it wasn’t her fault that she wasn’t catching on. If something was right in front of her, she’d see it. Guaranteed.

 

A little miffed (and even more in her head about what Hanamaru was up to), Dia went back into her room. By that time, it was eight o’clock, and Hanamaru showed no signs of coming back. Another hour passed, in which Dia took her shower and got ready for bed. She heard Hanamaru and Ruby taking showers right after her, but Hanamaru didn’t come straight back to her room. By ten o’clock, Dia could barely hold her eyes open. Although the excitement of Hanamaru being there gave her a bit of an edge, she had driven herself all the way home from uni...plus, the excitement wore her out a little bit.

 

She dozed off with her light still on, blankets beneath her and mouth wide open. She even started to dream, until she heard her bedroom door creak open. Dia’s eyes darted open, but she still laid in bed, trying to adjust her eyes to the light. Hanamaru quickly rectified that issue for her, though, flipping the light switch. The room was dark, then, but Dia could just barely make out Hanamaru’s figure, robe-clad and coming towards the bed with slow steps.

 

“I told you to wait up for me,” Hanamaru scolded. Dia heard the thud of the robe hitting the floor. She was ashamed that her body got so excited, just from that obscure sound...

 

“Sorry. Long day.” Dia sat up, and Hanamaru climbed into her lap. Dia could feel the smooth, baby lotion-scented skin beneath her fingertips. Hanamaru hadn’t had anything on beneath the robe, but Dia wasn’t surprised. Hanamaru loved showing off her body to Dia, even if she was sometimes shy with it around other people.

 

“Not an excuse, zura. I’ve been waiting to see you all day.”

 

Dia scowled, hoping Hanamaru couldn’t see it. “You’re the one who’s been doing other things.”

 

“I would have stayed with you, if you had...”

 

“If I had what?”

 

“...Never mind. Doesn’t matter, zura,” Hanamaru deadpanned. Dia groaned. “What?”

 

“I’m not a mind reader!”

 

“Neither am I, Dia-chan.”

 

“Whatever this game you’re playing is...I’m not liking it. I don’t know what’s going on.”

 

“Then learn how to play.” Hanamaru laughed. At least she wasn’t angry. Or, was she? Dia sighed, then reminded herself that she _liked_ Hanamaru being a little enigmatic. Even if it gave her gray hairs. “Hmm. I don’t know what I should do with you, since you fell asleep. What should I do?”

 

Dia liked that tone. Just like their phone conversation before spring break, Dia was glad to step away from whatever tension there was to get into something a little spicier. “What do you _want_ to do? You’re the one who’s angry, no?”

 

The spot beneath Hanamaru’s ear was oh-so sensitive; even without light, Dia could find the spot instantly, suckling gently before placing her hand on Hanamaru’s breast. Hanamaru’s breathing changed, a bit labored, but she pushed Dia’s hand away, and Dia’s head followed. “I wanna try something new, zura. Play along.”

 

When Hanamaru was taking off Dia’s clothes, it was hard not to play along. Dia couldn’t help but be suspicious, though. Something new? What would that be? Once undressed, Dia anticipated Hanamaru’s hand on her shaft, maybe teasing her a bit more than usual as some sort of punishment. However, Hanamaru’s hands went to Dia’s hips instead, rolling her onto her stomach. Dia turned her head around, but she couldn’t read Hanamaru’s face.

 

Then, she felt a slap on her ass.

 

Immediately, she clutched at her pillow, her face curling up into a grimace. But her heart was racing, and she felt her pre-come leaking onto the blankets. “What are you doing?”

 

“I told you not to fall asleep on me. This should keep you up,” Hanamaru replied, as if that wasn’t the stupidest idea Dia had ever heard. No time to argue, though. Another spank came fast and hard, harder than the first. Dia scrambled for the pillow, holding it to her chest. “Besides, I’m pretty sure you’ve always wanted something like this, right? To be tenderly dominated by someone you call ‘onee-chan’?”

 

Well, _yes,_ but also no...Dia suddenly regretted telling Hanamaru about her more personal fantasies. “This isn’t tender. A-and it’s not the name that matters, it’s...it’s more the humiliation behind being attracted to-”

 

Another slap. Dia couldn’t hold back a moan that time, praying nobody heard it, and Hanamaru laughed, straddling Dia’s lower legs. “You wouldn’t call this humiliating?”

 

“I wouldn’t call this anything but humiliating, but I don’t think you’re quite understanding what I want-”

 

“Alright. Fine. I’ll try again.” Dia got another spank to her ass, which was surely flushed by then. “Does it get you turned on when Maru touches you? You’re such a pervert, Dia-chan. I don’t think you should be getting so hard for your babysitter-”

 

“Fuck! God, that’s...” Dia humped her blankets against her will, wishing so badly that she was touching Hanamaru’s skin instead. “Th-that’s enough. It’s a little overwhelming for you to do that when you’re-” Hanamaru spanked her again, even harder. They were both enjoying the spankings far too much. “When you’re doing that!”

 

Hanamaru was relentless, though, squeezing the burning skin of Dia’s ass hard. “What’s wrong, Dia-chan? You don’t want to hear how much of a naughty pervert you are?”

 

“Seriously, stop,” Dia said, even though her tone of voice betrayed her. “I mean it!”

 

Hanamaru let up with her words, then, but the spanking continued, with Dia driving her hips into the blanket and muffling herself in her pillow. Ruby was right across the hall, her parents’ room wasn’t too far...but there she was, letting herself be swept away by Hanamaru’s suddenly sadistic demeanor. It was a nice change from the distant Hanamaru Dia had been met with all day, but Dia still had a feeling that Hanamaru was doing what she was doing out of spite.

 

Not that it mattered. Dia was going to take advantage of the situation given to her and enjoy every smack she was getting, even though she’d definitely have to remind Hanamaru to never speak of it again when they were done. Until then, she kept humping the bed, panting and wishing she was inside Hanamaru.

 

Dia had to take her pillowcase between her teeth when Hanamaru slapped her with both hands, laughing airily. “It’s so cute how it jiggles, Dia-chan. I could watch this all night.” Dia snarled, and it was audible. “Oh? But I thought you _liked_ being humiliated.”

 

And Hanamaru thought _she_ would be the one to be bullied that summer. What a ridiculous idea, with Dia laying face-down on the bed getting told how cute her ass looks when it’s being smacked. She was definitely the one getting bullied, and she hoped Hanamaru knew that Dia wouldn’t let anybody else do that to her.

 

Although Dia would have preferred a wet hole to the slightly rough fabric of her blankets, she felt herself getting closer and closer to her climax with each hit. Her hips jerked hard once, twice, three times, and then she was finishing onto her blankets and smearing her come all over herself, unable to stop no matter how messy she was getting. Hanamaru felt her finishing, and opted to knead Dia’s ass instead of continuing the spanking. Any touch from Hanamaru was like fuel to Dia, though, and her climax dragged out even longer until Hanamaru’s hands finally left her.

 

“We’re gonna have to wash the blanket,” Hanamaru said. Dia lifted her heavy head, dizzy, then climbed off of the bed to let Hanamaru remove the blanket.

 

“Tomorrow. I’ll just get a spare one out of the linen closet.” Dia put on her own robe, a bit surprised at how abruptly Hanamaru had snapped out of “lust mode”. Still, Dia was a little too tired to reason out why that was. It seemed like Hanamaru was back to the happily detached state she had been in for the rest of the day.

 

Dia stuffed the soiled blanket into her dirty laundry basket, barely making it fit. After that, she went into the closet in the hall, preparing to get another blanket. However, Ruby approached her, nervous and reserved as always. “Uh...hey, Dia-chan,” Ruby said, smiling.

 

 _Don’t ask questions, don’t ask questions, don’t ask questions..._ “Ruby? Isn’t it a bit late for you to be awake?”

 

“A little. I was just about to go to sleep, but, um, I wanted to tell you something.” Ruby deeply inhaled, then exhaled, as if she were trying to work herself up to something. That still annoyed Dia, even after almost two decades of having to experience it. Thankfully, she only did it once that time, then whispered, “I think you should treat Hanamaru-chan better!”

 

Dia was astonished. She kept her voice low, too. “Since when have I treated her badly?”

 

“You never have,” Ruby said. “But...you should read her better, is all!”

 

Dia looked toward her bedroom door. She could hear cartoons on the TV, which meant Hanamaru was watching it. Hopefully, she was distracted, if she hadn’t fallen asleep already. Still, Dia was quiet when she replied, “How?! How am I supposed to do that?! It’s like-it’s like she’s testing me on something, but I don’t know when I’m being tested until I’ve failed! How can she get angry at me for messing up when I don’t know what I’m messing up?”

 

Ruby seemed stumped by that question. _Well, she should be! This is stupid!_ “Start doing things differently. That’s all she wants.”

 

“Doing what differently?”

 

“I dunno. Things.”

 

“What do you mean you don’t know? I heard her talking to you. You definitely know.”

 

“I really don’t. I-I don’t really get what she was trying to tell me. I just know she wants something from you that you’re not giving her. So, um...I don’t know! Just stop doing whatever you’re doing that’s making her angry?”

 

Dia took the spare blanket from the closet and screamed into it.

* * *

Ruby must have been more involved in Hanamaru’s game than Dia had originally thought, because the next day, Ruby had taken Dia’s parents out for the entire afternoon. Dia was glad that she had some time with Hanamaru...not that Hanamaru was going to be on her best behavior throughout all of it.

 

Dia suggested taking a dip in the pool. It went largely unused, except for when Dia’s parents actually had time to use it for exercise. Still, they had workers that came to keep it maintained in the warmer seasons, so it took very little for Dia and Hanamaru to get in.

 

The water was ice cold, and Hanamaru was tentative, dipping her toes in and then shying away. “Dia-chan, can you turn the temperature up? Rich people can do that with their pools, right, zura?”

 

“Um, no? Just jump in like I did, it’s easy,” Dia snorted. “It’s better if you just take it all at once instead of-” Dia paused as her own words registered. Hanamaru snickered. “Oh, come on. Don’t be so dirty-minded all of the time. Jump in.” Hanamaru whined a bit longer before Dia rolled her eyes and cut her off. “And you call me a priss.”

 

“I’m _not_ a priss, zura! The water’s just too cold! It’s so hot, but the water is so cold! It’s just not right,” Hanamaru declared. “Are you _sure_ you can’t make it warmer?”

 

Dia prepared to give her response (a stiff “no”), but then her conversation with Ruby came back to her. _Start doing things differently,_ Dia thought to herself, mulling it over. Fine. Dia’d try something out: she’d acknowledge her first instinct, then do something else. Her first instinct was to tell Hanamaru “no”, so she should do something else.

 

Well, saying “yes” was out of the question. If there was a way to change the water temperature, Dia didn’t know it. Instead, she mumbled noncommittally and climbed out of the water, pretending like she was walking towards the shed in the backyard. Hanamaru was standing at the edge of the pool. _An easy target for some playful antics. She’d enjoy something like that, right?_

 

Before Hanamaru could notice that Dia had changed her direction, Dia was rushing over and pushing Hanamaru into the pool.

 

“See? I told you it was easy,” Dia said triumphantly, pausing to laugh at her little prank.

 

Hanamaru didn’t seem nearly as happy, her cheeks puffed out. She wasn’t angry, but Dia could tell that her plan didn’t work out like she expected it to. Didn’t Hanamaru want her to be spontaneous? Wasn’t that the meaning of Ruby’s words? “Dia-chan, you’re mean! I told you not to bully Maru, didn’t I?!”

 

“And I decided to ignore you.”

 

Hanamaru swam up to the edge of the pool, grabbed Dia by her arms, and yanked her into the pool. It turned out that dunking into the water wasn’t as fun when it was initiated by somebody else. Hanamaru started laughing, then, and Dia relaxed. Her first tactic wasn’t effective, surely, but at least Hanamaru didn’t seem to be as tricky as she was the day before.

 

Hanamaru dragged Dia into a couple of splash fights, and Dia joined in without hesitation, hoping she’d see a positive reaction from going along with Hanamaru’s plans. After that, though, they simply waded around together, with Hanamaru challenging Dia to breath contests and underwater handstands. At that point, Hanamaru seemed so happy that Dia wondered if whatever phase Hanamaru was going through had been washed away by the pool water.

 

Still, Dia was constantly thinking of ways to please her. She really _did_ have an analytical mind. She gauged Hanamaru’s reaction to every little thing she did. Dia couldn’t tell the difference between a “good” or “bad” reaction, though, because Hanamaru was so happy.

 

They wound up getting out some inner tubes and floating around in the pool together, with Hanamaru frantically paddling at the water if she ever drifted too far from Dia. Dia, at last, grabbed her hand, linking them together. Hanamaru had shock written all over her face, but it looked like the good kind... “You know, otters hold hands when they sleep so that they don’t float away from each other. I thought it would be efficient to do something like that,” Dia explained.

 

Hanamaru smiled, so serenely, and leaned back into her inner tube. _Very effective,_ Dia thought happily. Did Hanamaru want her to be more romantic, perhaps? But Dia was plenty romantic, always. Dia leaned back too, glad she had her sunglasses on so she could look up into the sky without any problems. She took them off to look back at the water, rippling and swaying. “It feels nice,” Hanamaru said, interrupting the silence.

 

“What does?”

 

“Being with you.”

* * *

Although the pool water was a nice start to keeping them cool, Uchiura summers were strikingly hot. After a one-on-one game of marco-polo and a few races, they toweled off and headed inside.

 

Dia had at first been a little disappointed in Hanamaru wearing a one-piece bathing suit. Hanamaru had bikinis, Dia knew it, but they were rarely worn. They were standing in the kitchen with popsicles when Dia decided to mention it. “I know you don’t like wearing skimpy clothing around others,” Dia began, “but you’re safe with me. I’d never tease you.”

 

“I know,” Hanamaru said, her voice gentle. She cupped Dia’s cheek, then stopped abruptly, pulling her hand away so fast Dia barely got a chance to feel it. “We have the whole summer. I’ll wear a bikini for you eventually, if that’s what you want, zura.”

 

“It’s not about what I want.” Even though she _did_ want to see Hanamaru in a bikini... “I want you to know you’re safe with me.”

 

“I know, I know,” Hanamaru repeated. She puckered her lips at the tip of her popsicle—cherry, making her lips a deep ruby color—then began to lick at it again. “I already told you I’m happy right now. It feels nice to be with you, and I’d never feel unsafe, zura. It’s just...a thing. You know. One of those things.”

 

Dia watched Hanamaru eat her popsicle, taking bites out of her own grape-flavored one every now and then (even though Hanamaru _hated_ when Dia bit into frozen treats). At first, Dia was trying to check on her, make sure she was really happy, and make sure that Hanamaru was over whatever phase she had been going through the day before. However, the way Hanamaru was going at her popsicle easily tore Dia’s attention away. When Hanamaru caught Dia looking, she stopped, puffing her cheeks out and looking at her feet.

 

That was different.

 

Usually Hanamaru would catch on to Dia feeling antsy, and she’d keep pushing and pushing until Dia had no choice but to give in. Instead, Hanamaru seemed to have left the ball in Dia’s court a little bit early. Dia was bold when it came to most things, but in matters of the heart, she tended to play it rather safe, never making a move until one was made on her first. But, God, the way she was working that popsicle...

 

Dia finished her own popsicle quickly, while Hanamaru was still chipping away at hers. Dia set her stick down on the counter, then took Hanamaru’s popsicle from her hand before pressing their lips together. It was a sweet, summery kiss that made Dia dizzy. Their lips were cool from the desserts, but their tongues were warmer when they met. When they pulled away, Hanamaru looked adorably confused. “What if I undress you right now? It won’t matter if I see you in a bikini if I see you fully naked.”

 

“You act like it’d be the first time you’ve seen me naked if you undress me right now,” Hanamaru said.

 

“Is that a no?”

 

Hanamaru shook her head. She seemed to be relaxing into the counter that Dia had her pressed up against, letting Dia take the lead. Dia’s heartbeat was roaring in her ears. She handed the popsicle back to Hanamaru, who held it between her lips as Dia undid the straps of her bathing suit and pulled it to her ankles. Hanamaru stepped out of it, and Dia dropped to her knees, causing Hanamaru to gasp.

 

Although they spent a lot of their holiday season in the bedroom, there was only so much they could do when Dia’s parents were around and they were just figuring each other out. More than that, Dia hadn’t gotten a chance to research the things she had wanted to do in bed, no matter how anal that might have been. By then, Dia was ready. She didn’t care if it was her first time eating Hanamaru out. She was going to do something different, and Hanamaru was going to like it.

 

Dia looked up to see Hanamaru holding her popsicle idly. It was melting in her hand, with some of the red streaking down her wrist. “Don’t just watch. We don’t want to make a mess,” Dia said. Following her own advice, Dia daintily licked at Hanamaru’s outer folds with slow, clean strokes. Hanamaru shuddered, but placed the popsicle between her lips again anyway.

 

Dia was mindful of what she’d (regretfully) read online about oral sex, recalling every little tip as her mouth moved. She made different motions with her tongue and glanced up to see how it was working out. Side-to-side, circular motions on Maru’s clit, long strokes up and down. Hanamaru responded so well to each of them that Dia didn’t know what was best.

 

The taste wasn’t something Dia needed trouble getting used to, after playfully cleaning her own fingers of Hanamaru’s essence (if Hanamaru didn’t do it herself). In fact, the only thing Dia had to get used to was how much she loved it, having to pull herself in when she felt like she was going too fast. Hanamaru was very straightforward, but Dia thought it was only ethical to start slow and build up speed, even if her own libido was telling her to go full force right away.

 

Still, slowing down didn’t mean she had to be completely passive. She decided to add some fingers to the mix. Dia stopped varying her tongue movements, deciding to go with a steady-pressured move on Hanamaru’s clit. Hanamaru lifted one of her legs, draping it around Dia’s shoulder and digging her heel into Dia’s back. It was a desperate move, although a silent one. Dia heard her plea, though, one of her fingers feeling out Hanamaru’s hole and dipping in. Abandoning some of her self-control, Dia let another finger join it.

 

Hanamaru dropped her popsicle.

 

Dia laughed lowly into Hanamaru’s skin, but Hanamaru just groaned. When Dia looked up again, Hanamaru was covering her face with her hands, biting her lip. Dia could still see her pink cheeks. As if she had the right to be embarrassed! Dia decided to double down on her efforts, pleased to see Hanamaru in a more submissive state. Dia decided to think of it as revenge, for all of the years of teasing Dia as a shy little girl (even if Hanamaru was the first one to defend her, too). It was becoming clearer that although Hanamaru hadn’t changed too much from their younger years, Dia had grown up to become more than capable of changing the dynamic of their relationship.

 

Was that what Hanamaru wanted? To be dominated?

 

The night before (and admittedly for most of their relationship), Hanamaru had taken charge, leaving Dia at her mercy. What if Hanamaru wanted to be the one to be taken care of and taken advantage of? Dia certainly wouldn’t have minded that. If anything, the only reason she’d been so passive before is because Hanamaru seemed to have _wanted_ to be the dominant one in the relationship, and that was what Dia had assumed from their dynamic in the past.

 

Dia was kind of glad Hanamaru had started acting out. Now, she was in her element. Her mouth left Hanamaru’s clit, although her fingers kept pumping in and out slowly and smoothly. “Ah...didn’t I tell you not to make a mess?”

 

“I-it’s hard not to,” Hanamaru whimpered, peeking through the gaps between her fingers. Dia’s swimsuit was getting a lot tighter in the crotch area, but she’d have her way with Hanamaru later. Right then, she’d focus on giving Hanamaru what she needed, even if there was a little teasing along the way. “I’m not used to...you doing this!”

 

“Well, get used to it. I’m starting to like it a lot.” Hanamaru bit at the knuckle of her pointer finger, her eyes slipping shut. The hand that wasn’t serving as a makeshift gag went down to Dia’s head, not quite pushing but not quite relaxed either. Dia decided that was good enough for her to keep going, but that time, her tongue was joined by her lips. Dia knew that Hanamaru’s clit was oh-so sensitive, especially when it was so pink and swollen, but she figured a little sucking wouldn’t hurt.

 

In fact, it did the complete opposite. The hand on Dia’s head suddenly grew aggressive, pulling Dia in with fervor. Hanamaru’s legs began to shake, and she withdrew the one that was fastening Dia between her legs, instead using it to try and remain standing. Dia’s free hand held Hanamaru’s hip tightly, keeping her grounded. Hanamaru’s body was getting wild, her hips pushing forward insistently. That was fine by Dia; that meant that Hanamaru was tired of taking it slow, and so was Dia. And Dia was beginning to regret telling herself she wouldn’t make a mess.

 

She decided to revoke that rule for the time being, pulling her fingers out of Hanamaru and releasing her clit. Hanamaru didn’t get a chance to complain, because Dia was quickly switching places, her thumb massaging Hanamaru’s clit while her tongue lapped up Hanamaru’s slick straight from the source. Finally, Hanamaru became a bit more vocal, panting Dia’s name whenever she could find the breath. There was something wondrous about the way Hanamaru said Dia’s name when she was barely staying upright. Her voice was so _needy,_ and Dia planned on delivering.

 

Hanamaru seemed to get chattier as time went on, unlike Dia, who got more silent as her pleasure increased. It was almost like Hanamaru had no idea what to do with herself when she was feeling that good, other than talk. “B-be rougher with your tongue, Dia-chan,” Hanamaru said, meekly, as if it were merely suggestion and not a veiled command. Dia complied anyway, sliding her tongue back and forth over Hanamaru’s slit with just a tad more pressure. “Mm...you’re so good at this. Don’t tell me your little college friends told you how to do something like this?”

 

Dia elected to ignore that remark. Her tongue slipped into Hanamaru briefly, on accident, but Dia rolled with it, taking her hand away from Hanamaru’s clit to brace her hips with both hands. Hanamaru squealed, and Dia couldn’t help but smile until the tension in her jaw was too much to keep up with. It really was hard work, but someone like Dia craved hard work...especially if the reward was as sweet as Hanamaru’s cunt was.

 

Her voice was getting sweeter, too, filled with songs of praise. “Dia-chan...! Ah, God, your mouth is amazing, don’t stop! Please, please, don’t stop...and use your fingers again, please? You’re doing so good, it’s so good, but your hands, please...”

 

Yes, Dia was far beyond not being messy by then. Her face from her cheeks to her chin were glistening with Hanamaru’s juices, mostly because Hanamaru’s flailing hips had left Dia unable to escape getting a little sloppy. Once again, she moved with the circumstances, letting herself get covered in Hanamaru’s honey while she worked to bring her lover over the edge.

 

It only took two clumsy fingers pressing on Hanamaru’s clit to make her release, holding the granite edges of the counter to keep herself from falling over. It almost sounded like Hanamaru was sobbing with each forceful twitch of her body. Dia felt like she had found heaven between Hanamaru’s thighs, listening to shaky breaths and moans from above as Hanamaru pulsed in her mouth and around her fingers.

 

Dia only stopped when her jaw was hurting a bit too much for her to continue. She pulled back and stood up, massaging near her cheek with the hand that hadn’t been...previously occupied. Hanamaru had her full weight on the counter, the popsicle melted in a puddle by her feet. Dia scoffed a little, and Hanamaru looked up. “Ah...I’ll get this cleaned up. You go take a shower. All that chlorine can’t be good for your skin.”

 

Hanamaru smiled sheepishly, giving Dia a kiss on the cheek. Then, she had a second thought about it and opted to kiss her on the lips instead. “Thank you, Dia-chan. You were perfect.”

 

“What else did you expect, hm?” Dia grinned and watched Hanamaru sway to the bathroom. Dia looked down, but the first thing that popped into her vision wasn’t the red puddle of cherry popsicle. It was the tent in the bottom piece of her bikini.

 

Dia bit her lip. _I better avoid that shower. There’s no telling what I’m going to do to her if I get in there..._

* * *

By that time, Dia was one hundred percent sure that Hanamaru was over whatever mood she was in. Dia had been skeptical of Ruby’s advice of doing something different, but it seemed like that was the key to getting Hanamaru back to normal to enjoy their summer break.

 

Ruby could only keep their parents away for so long, so eventually, Dia and Hanamaru had to hide away in Dia’s room with the door locked to spoon on Dia’s bed. Neither of them had gotten dressed after they had both showered, instead laying together skin-on-skin, caressing each other. Dia felt dizzy everytime she caught a whiff of Hanamaru’s sweet, flowery perfumed lotion. There was a steady, almost imperceptible _click click click_ from the ceiling fan as it cooled them off. Finally, Hanamaru’s touch was motherly again, and even though Dia still wasn’t quite used to it, it was somewhat of a staple for her, and she was glad that Hanamaru was pampering her again.

 

The sun was beginning to set when Hanamaru interrupted their comfortable silence. “There’s gonna be fireworks near the sea tomorrow night, Dia-chan.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Mm-hm. We’re going,” Hanamaru said.

 

“Oh? We are? Hm...I don’t remember agreeing to that.” Hanamaru fussed and cried for a little bit before Dia gave in, chuckling at Hanamaru pummeling her arm. “Alright! Yes, yes, we’re going. Did you bring your yukata?”

 

“No way I’d forget it, zura,” Hanamaru declared triumphantly. “I gotta bring mine if I want to see you in yours. You’re always so adorable when you’re in your yukata, Dia-chan! Like a fluffy little kitten in a gown!”

 

Dia had been called many things when she was dressed in a yukata: stunning, womanly, mature, lovely...but rarely cute, and rarely kitten-like. That made it even more special to hear, though. “Thank you. But don’t say that in public, for God’s sake..."

* * *

The Kurosawa household (and Hanamaru, of course) had just finished breakfast when Ruby got a visitor. Before Dia knew it, Hanamaru, Yoshiko and Ruby were all talking in Ruby’s bedroom, being unreasonably loud. Dia felt a little less insecure than she had felt the day Hanamaru arrived, when she had been whispering in Ruby’s bedroom. Her and Hanamaru were on much better terms, for whatever reason. Not to mention the fireworks coming up later that evening. Dia used the time that the older girls were talking to pick out her yukata, finally going with a lavender one. According to Ruby, an undercover fashionista, purple made Dia’s green eyes pop.

 

After that, though, she decided to go peek into Ruby’s room. She felt like a kid again, lonely and lingering at Ruby’s door until Hanamaru noticed her and pulled her in. Yoshiko would whine and claim that Dia being an “annoying baby” cramped her style, and Ruby would just freak out because Dia was freaking out over Yoshiko being creepy. Hanamaru was the beacon of peace for the three of them, pulling Dia to sit between her legs and hugging from her behind...

 

“Dia-chan? Gee, don’t just stand there. Come on in, zura.”

 

Dia smiled. She hadn’t even realized that she had been doing the same thing she had always done... “Pardon me. I hope I’m not intruding, Hanamaru.”

 

“You are,” Yoshiko said.

 

“Well, thank God I wasn’t asking you,” Dia said sourly. She took her rightful place on Ruby’s bed. Even though Ruby had certainly upgraded her bed from the twin she slept in as a kid, the bed was still a little cramped for four people. That just felt like home, though. “What are we talking about?”

 

“Th-the festival tonight!” Ruby’s face was absolutely shining with joy. Ruby had always enjoyed it, especially when she would be walking along holding hands with Hanamaru and Yoshiko (until Dia demanded that she come along too, of course). “We’re making plans.”

 

Plans? “‘We’? Who’s ‘we’?”

 

“Who else?” Yoshiko asked, rolling her eyes. “Zuramaru, Ruby and I are gonna go wreak havoc around the stalls until the fireworks start.”

 

Dia turned to Hanamaru so fast she felt her brain jump in her skull. “Oh? Really?”

 

“Um,” Hanamaru said, laughing. Yoshiko and Ruby quickly averted their eyes. “We-well, for clarification, I wasn’t gonna stick around until the fireworks _started,_ zura...really, we were going to go an hour before they started and then I was going to meet up with you half and hour later. Half and half. Besides, didn’t Kanan-chan and Mari-chan invite you earlier? We can hang out with our friends for a bit, then meet up later so that they don’t have to see us bein’ all lovey-dovey, zura!”

 

Dia blinked.

 

For once, Yoshiko exercised some tact, even if it wasn’t in the most opportune moment. “Hey, uh, Dia...look, it’s been a while since you and Zuramaru have had the chance to hang out and stuff. We can let her go, and meet up with her tomorrow, or something, if you really wanted to do the festival with her.”

 

Dia looked at Hanamaru. Hanamaru was plucking at a stray thread on Ruby’s blankets. Dia didn’t want to upset her, especially when things were starting to go well...she couldn’t act upset. “She can go with you two. It doesn’t matter to me.”

 

Unknowingly, Dia had just started the apocalypse.

 

“It...’doesn’t matter’,” Hanamaru repeated. “Hmm. Okay, zura.”

 

“You just said we can both go hang out with our friends.”

 

“Yeah, but...” Dia looked up. Yoshiko and Ruby were looking at different corners of the room again. Did everybody _but_ Dia know what the hell was going on? “That wording was just a little interesting. That’s all.”

 

“Well, it _doesn’t_ really matter.”

 

“I’m not really the boss of you,” Yoshiko began, “but you should probably stop saying that.”

 

“But it doesn’t! Right?” Why was Hanamaru so angry? Dia was giving her exactly what she wanted. What more could Dia do? Once again, they were in the same old rut that had been there at the beginning of her vacation. Frantically, Dia searched for a solution. Did Hanamaru just want more time with her friends? “Okay, okay, fine. You don’t have to meet up with me before the fireworks, then. We can meet up when they start and you can spend most of the festival with them. How does that sound?”

 

Hanamaru seemed even more appalled. Yoshiko and Ruby had detached themselves from the situation completely, with Ruby looking out of the window and Yoshiko looking at her cellphone. “Fine, then, Dia-chan. I get the point!”

 

“What point?! What is going on?!”

 

Dia never got her answer. Hanamaru hopped off of the bed and stormed out, leaving Dia in her wake, confused and annoyed.

* * *

Dia changed her plans and met up with Kanan and Mari, although with a heavy heart. She prayed that she wouldn’t see Hanamaru at the festival. There was no telling what kind of pitiful groveling she might do. Instead, she decided to unleash her worries on Kanan and Mari as they walked around the stalls.

 

“I don’t get it. I just don’t understand. And it’s been going on for months. She says she can’t come for spring break, I say okay, she starts acting different,” Dia started. It was good to vent a little bit. She hadn’t spoken much to Ruby about her current dilemma because it definitely would have gotten back to Hanamaru somehow. “She wants to go hang out in Ruby’s room, I say okay, she gets mad!” Dia almost relayed the rest of the night’s events to Kanan and Mari, but decided to choose her next words carefully. “We swim around in the pool a bit and she seems fine,” Dia said slowly. That was a little simplified, but it would do. “And then today, she says she’s going to spend a little time with Ruby and Yoshiko-san at the festival, and I say okay, it doesn’t matter, and then she gets mad _again!_ So I tell her that she can spend the majority of the festival with them, and she gets mad again-” Dia stopped again, because she heard Mari snickering next to her. “What?”

 

“Oh, I don’t know,” Mari said, rolling her eyes. “Don’t you think it’s a little stupid to basically tell her to go somewhere else for the festival and then get confused when she gets angry?”

 

Kanan and Mari were both on the case, trying to uncover the Kunikida puzzle. All three of them sat on a bench, figuring. Well, Kanan and Mari were figuring. Dia was looking around the festival grounds, hoping to see a glimpse of honey-brown hair and golden eyes... “I see why Dia said it, though. Hanamaru might have wanted to be with her friends more, and Dia didn’t wanna hold her back.”

 

Dia sighed in relief, smiling. “Thank you! I knew I wasn’t wrong-”

 

“But,” Kanan interrupted, “that does sound kind of harsh! Like you’re telling her to get lost, kinda.”

 

“It wasn’t like that at all,” Dia insisted. It was only a couple of hours ago. She could remember...right? No, no, it wasn’t her fault. “She’s just being erratic.”

 

Mari clucked her tongue. “Not too erratic. Seems obvious to me what’s happening. You’re supposed to be chasing after her!”

 

“What? What am I chasing? We’re already dating!” Although, lately she couldn’t tell if they were...

 

“All of the stuff you just said involved her going somewhere and you just laying down and taking it!” Mari said. Her tone was very rousing. Dia already felt exhausted. “Fight back! She says she’s leaving? You say that you don’t want her to go! You want her to stay with you, so that you can make sweet sweet love to her on every surface of-”

 

Kanan forced a hacking cough, and Mari settled into her seat on the bench, seeming satisfied with what she’d said. “N-now that I think about it, something like that sounds right,” Kanan agreed. “Maybe she just wants to know you really like her. We know you’re just trying to please her and let her do what she wants, but I can see why it might look like you’re just letting her go without caring.”

 

Did it? Why would it seem like that? After all... “I _do_ care when she leaves. It broke my heart when she couldn’t come for spring break. Don’t tell her I said that, but it broke my heart! I don’t mean to be cruel when I say I don’t care what she does. She’s taking it the wrong way. And it isn’t fair for her to play games like this...! I mean it! Some of the stuff she was doing was so deliberate. It was like she was begging me to chase after her!”

 

“Then do it,” Mari said simply. Dia shot her a glare. “Come on. Isn’t a girl allowed to want some of the simpler things? It’s kinda like when I’m arguing with Kanan-chan and I tell her not to talk to me, when I want her to.”

 

“Then why don’t you just say that you want her to?”

 

“Because she wants to see if I will,” Kanan replied, sounding disgruntled. Dia groaned. Hanamaru was a simple girl, but sometimes her teasing could make her look a lot more complicated. Dia was getting a migraine. “Look, don’t bother trying to understand. Just listen to me. The way you’re going about things, Hanamaru thinks you don’t care if she stays or goes.” Dia began to speak, but Kanan cut her off. “I know that you care whether she stays or goes, Dia, but that’s not the point. I’m just telling you what she thinks.”

 

Dia supposed that Kanan was right. Understanding what was going through Hanamaru’s mind wasn’t important right then; at least, it wasn’t as important as patching things up. “I guess I better go find her, then. Come on, let’s walk around,” Dia said, standing up. Kanan and Mari jumped up after her.

 

The festival grounds looked large to Dia as a child, but when she was looking for one single person in a sea of people, it looked even larger. Dia thought that Ruby, Yoshiko and Hanamaru all walking around would make it easier to spot them, but she turned out to be wrong.

 

After half an hour of aimless searching, Dia finally saw the tops of the older girls’ heads, and rushed over. Hanamaru turned to Dia first, holding a stick of yakitori. Hanamaru seemed to be appraising her, almost. Dia hated being so low on the totem pole, but she let herself be looked over.

 

Meanwhile, she gave Hanamaru the once-over as well. Hanamaru had gotten dressed at her own house. Dia had almost forgotten how gorgeous Hanamaru looked in her yukata. It had been so many years, and she looked somewhat different, although eerily familiar. To put it simply, Dia had always seen Hanamaru in a yukata as something to look up to, especially when she was a child. That night, she looked the exact same as Dia had always seen her, but there was a different kind of energy Dia was getting from her. It was less admiration and more along the lines of infatuation. The dark red color of Hanamaru’s yukata didn’t help, either. It made Dia think of sensuality, of the mystery of romance.

 

Finally, she said, “Good evening.”

 

“Hi, zura.”

 

All six of them stood there, with Ruby and Yoshiko shooting each other looks and Kanan and Mari elbowing Dia in the side. “I’d like to spend the rest of the festival with you,” Dia said. Quickly, she bowed. “It’d be an honor if you’d accept.”

 

The entire group looked surprised, Dia included. She had meant to profess her love in a way that would make Hanamaru never feel neglected, but as it turned out, it felt a little weird to even _imagine_ doing that in front of people that weren’t really involved. Hanamaru seemed to find the way Dia had asked endearing, though, smiling sheepishly. “Really, Dia-chan? It would?”

 

“Y-yes. Please, don’t make me say it again,” Dia said. Mari was snickering. “Seriously. Please.”

 

“We’ll go without you, Zuramaru,” Yoshiko said, pushing Hanamaru forward. “Come on, Ruby. Let’s take Dia’s little baby friends to some of the stalls.”

 

Kanan frowned at being called a baby, but mumbled, “Yeah, Dia, we’ll catch you later. Enjoy the festival!”

 

Kanan, Mari, Ruby and Yoshiko darted out of the way so fast that Dia would have thought they had springs in their feet. Dia and Hanamaru were left standing by the stall that Hanamaru had gotten her yakitori from. Hanamaru was still reading Dia’s face so intently that Dia could feel her eyes. Hanamaru held her skewer out. “Want some?”

* * *

It was like the pool day all over again, except they were a little less rowdy. Hanamaru was still as goofy as ever, though, providing the entertainment all on her own. Dia loved to watch her talk, watch her walk, watch her _exist,_ like it was the best privilege she’d ever had. Yes, Dia wanted her around. And she’d make sure Hanamaru knew that by the end of the night. Hanamaru seemed to be glowing already. She had been glowing from the moment Dia invited her to walk around, when Dia thought about it. As much as Dia hated to admit it, Kanan and Mari were right.

 

They were just about to go find another game for Dia to win at when there was an explosion of color in the sky, not too far from them. Hanamaru gasped and looked up as people began rushing towards the fields where the fireworks were seen best. “Ah! Dia-chan, they’re starting!”

 

Hanamaru started to run along with the crowd, but Dia grabbed her hand, glancing behind them. There was bench only a couple of feet away... “Wait. We can see them fine from here,” Dia said. “And we can watch them alone like this. Would you mind?”

 

Hanamaru was excited, looking at Dia with wide eyes and a wide smile to match. “Okay! If you’re sure we can see them, zura...”

 

They got cozied up on the wood of the bench. They were so far away from the crowd that it was mere silence except for the fireworks lighting up the night sky. Hanamaru was squealing when she saw colors that she liked, clasping Dia’s arm as if she might float away. Dia was too busy looking at her.

 

The show had always felt like it was hours long when Dia was a child, but being older, it felt too quick. When it finally died down, Hanamaru was panting from all of the laughing and screaming she’d been doing, still wiggling in her seat. _And she’s supposed to be the most mature between us,_ Dia thought.

 

It was as good a time as any, with Hanamaru being so jubilant, for Dia to bring up the elephant in the room. “Hanamaru, I’d like to talk to you.”

 

“Talk away,” Hanamaru said. There was something in her tone of voice that told Dia she knew what was coming.

 

“I-I’m sorry, first of all. I’m sorry if...if I’ve ever alienated you in any way. You know I love you, right? I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember.” Dia spoke softly, a change from her normal stubborn, fiery tone of voice. That drew Hanamaru to her, whether Hanamaru realized it or not. “I love you dearly, Hanamaru.”

 

“I-I know,” Hanamaru said, sheepishly. “And I love you, too. But, sometimes I just wonder if I want you around more than you want me around. That’s all.”

 

It was shocking to actually hear the issue coming straight from Hanamaru’s mouth, even though Kanan and Mari had explained it quite well. Dia didn’t want to believe that she had been neglectful, but the evidence was right in front of her. “Why would you think that?” Her tone sounded too confrontational, she knew it. She followed up with, “I never meant to make you feel that way, is all.”

 

Hanamaru smiled woefully, taking Dia’s hand in hers. “I know you didn’t, zura. But after spring break, I couldn’t stop thinking. It felt like you didn’t even care that I couldn’t come. So I started acting differently, breaking away a little bit, just to see if you’d even bother asking why.”

 

So, there _was_ a trap laid out. And Dia stepped right into it. “Of course I didn’t ask why. I didn’t want you to feel like I was forcing you to do something, and I didn’t want it to seem like I was needy.”

 

“I don’t _care_ if you’re needy, Dia-chan. I want you to tell me how you feel. If you want me to stay with you, then say so,” Hanamaru said, squeezing Dia’s hand. “Sometimes I want to feel wanted, Dia. I don’t want to be the one always coming forward for you. Sometimes I want to be the one who’s sought out. It was kind of mean when you pushed me into the pool, but I kinda liked it, because we had so much fun after! It was like you didn’t wanna be anywhere else but with me. And I liked what you did after we got out of the pool, too. It made me feel like you really wanted me, even if...” Hanamaru blushed. “Even if your intentions were a little lewd.”

 

Dia was embarrassed by those words, too, although proud of the fact that she had done something right, even it was something she had done on accident. On the other hand, it was hard to be proud when she knew that Hanamaru had been suffering in silence, just waiting for Dia to reach out to her. “Why didn’t you tell me? You’re not being honest about your feelings, either. And it isn’t fair to expect me to catch on so easily,” Dia pointed out, always reluctant to be the loser.

 

“I-I dunno!” Hanamaru started to look even more frazzled, chewing at her bottom lip. “I’ve always been bugging you, ever since we were little, Dia-chan. It never really bothered me before, but...I guess I just got in my head about it. I started to think, ‘maybe she’s getting tired of me babying her all of the time, maybe she’s getting tired of me always poking and prodding her’. So I didn’t say anything.”

 

“I’m always wanting you, Hanamaru, and I always want to hear what you have to say,” Dia said. “Please don’t forget that...even if I’m stubborn.”

 

Hanamaru nodded a bit, but that wasn’t nearly enough for Dia. Dia decided to make it her mission to make sure Hanamaru felt like the most loved girl on Earth. The crowds of people were making their way away from the festival, and there was definitely a risk of somebody passing by, but Dia put that out of mind as she tilted Hanamaru’s chin up and kissed her softly. Hanamaru froze, then kissed back, her hand on Dia’s thigh. Dia would have scolded Hanamaru if she had ever tried to kiss Dia in public like that, but Dia was feeling daring.

 

In fact, she was feeling a little _too_ daring, perhaps.

 

“Follow me,” Dia said, standing, her hand still holding Hanamaru’s.

 

“Why?”

 

“I want to show you just how much I need you.”

* * *

The crickets sang as Dia and Hanamaru made their way to the field where the fireworks show had been held. Everyone had seemed to clear out quickly; the night was getting a little humid, with the gentle breeze picking up airs from the sea. Dia was glad, because she wasn’t sure if she would have been able to go through with her plan if there was even the slightest hint of a person there.

 

Dia took Hanamaru to sit with her in the middle of the field, with the grass tickling her leg when her yukata moved upward a bit. Dia kissed Hanamaru again, pinning her to the grass and pressing her knee against the crotch of Hanamaru’s panties. Hanamaru trembled and whined, then pushed Dia away. Her mouth was formed into a cute little “O” of surprise, but Dia was trying to see a different O-face from her lover right then.

 

“Dia-chan, what are you doing? W-we’re outside,” Hanamaru said, although the pants coming from her lips told Dia she was too excited to pull out of what Dia was pulling her into.

 

“Yes, we are,” Dia said. She tilted Hanamaru’s head, just so she could kiss and suck that one spot on Hanamaru’s ear... “But if I do something like this, _somewhere_ like this, then you’ll surely understand that I want you?”

 

“That’s not fair. Th-that’s not what I meant,” Hanamaru groaned, whining in protest even as she complacently let Dia take her panties off.

 

Dia briefly considered what to do. Ever since her first experience with giving Hanamaru oral, she was eager to do it again, but there was a time for everything, and Dia didn’t want to drag her feet when somebody could have easily came along. Not to mention, Dia and Hanamaru hadn’t had full-on penetrative sex since right after the new year came in. The _new year._ It had been months, and Dia was craving. Hanamaru wanted it too, right?

 

Hanamaru’s complaints were swept away by Dia’s kisses. It was hard for Dia to focus on removing her own underwear when Hanamaru’s mouth was so wet and welcoming. Dia managed to get them off, finally, and she pressed her body against Hanamaru’s, relishing the little skin-on-skin contact they got when their yukatas shifted out of the way. However, the most important contact was there, with Dia’s erect shaft sliding back and forth against Hanamaru’s slit; it was a bit of a teaser before the real show began.

 

Dia murmured, “You’ve been taking the birth control, right?”

 

It was Hanamaru’s idea to do such a thing, which made Dia wonder if Hanamaru was just as bummed out about the no-condoms accident on Christmas night as Dia was. Hanamaru nodded, although a bit hesitantly. “H-here, though? Ah, Dia-chan...I never knew you were such a pervert, zura...”

 

“It’s not my fault. It’s been too long,” Dia said. That was the last thing she managed to say before her instinct took over. The swollen tip of her shaft was a tight fit with Hanamaru’s pussy, no matter how wet she was. Hanamaru wrapped her arms around Dia and pulled her down. Dia loved it when Hanamaru hugged her like that, especially when they were making love. The desperation that Hanamaru was grabbing with made Dia’s yukata slip off of her shoulders just enough to bare them to the thick night air.

 

“I-it has been too long,” Hanamaru agreed, her eyes pointed towards the sky. When Dia forced herself all of the way in, those eyes shut, leaving Dia to watch Hanamaru’s face intently without being reprimanded for staring.

 

“And I’ve been wanting you this whole time.” Dia withdrew, then slid back in, slow but hard enough to make a point. “Even if we’re not doing something like this, I’d always be thinking about me, and you, together. Whenever we were apart. Even before the holiday, Hanamaru, I’d think of you fondly and feel my heart swell...” Hanamaru pulled Dia closer, whimpering. “I’ve always been so in love with you. And now that I have you, I’ll make sure that you always know that.”

 

“I get it, I get it,” Hanamaru whined.

 

Dia laughed, quickening her pace just enough for it to feel better, but not enough for it to make her lose control. After all, she rarely took back control when she was around the merciless Hanamaru, but Dia was in her prime when she was in charge. “Then say it back. You love me, don’t you, Hanamaru?”

 

“I do, you know I do...stop being unfair...a-ah, fuck, just go faster, before somebody comes!” Hanamaru, swearing? What a rarity. Dia knew she was doing something right.

 

Dia decided to reward Hanamaru’s little outburst, driving in faster with each stroke. Dia decided to quiet down, then, unsure what would come out of her mouth when she was getting so riled up. It was hard not to be a little shaken. She was surprised by how different it felt fucking bare, with nothing between them. Hanamaru was just as tight, just as wet, just as _amazing,_ but Dia felt it ten times harder. Her walls were like hot velvet, wrapped snugly around Dia’s dick with no plans to release it.

 

Hanamaru’s back would arch across the grass every now and then, giving Dia the slightest glimpse of her chest as her yukata shifted. That wasn’t enough for Dia. She deftly undid the ribbon on it and parted the fabric, exposing Hanamaru’s breasts. Her nipples were already perky and begging to be toyed with, and Dia had to deliver. Although her thrusts were getting almost barbarically rough, Dia was still gentle with Hanamaru’s tits, knowing how sensitive they were. It would be counterproductive to have her finish _that_ fast, even if Dia wanted to wrap things up in a timely fashion.

 

The teasing on Dia’s end must have been noticed, because Hanamaru started to squirm, and if Dia wasn’t mistaken, she was thrusting her chest upwards to get a little more attention. Any reluctance Hanamaru had had earlier seemed to be gone. Dia could feel her more, feel her pleasure. They were so in sync that Dia wasn’t sure who was who anymore; as cliche as it sounded, she felt like they were one, striving for pleasure _together._

 

Hanamaru started to whimper again, grinding her hips against Dia’s. “Harder,” she whispered. “Please...”

 

That was a dangerous thing to ask for from Dia, because she was getting more and more engrossed in her own pleasure as time went on. Still, she removed her hands from Hanamaru’s breasts, placing them on her hips. She braced Hanamaru to the grass, hoping the ground was soft enough for it to be comfortable. Then, she started to fuck Hanamaru just as she had asked for it, with steady, sharp thrusts. Both of them started to moan more audibly after that, but Hanamaru was the loudest, cursing even more as Dia pounded her over and over.

 

Hanamaru had opened her eyes again by then, the full moon reflecting in her eyes. It was surprisingly serene like that, and almost funny how it all sounded. There was the sound of the crickets and the hum of the night, contrasted by squeals and moans and pleas and the hot sound of their hips pressing together. Dia was fucking Hanamaru into the dirt by then, ruthless. “God, I want you, Hanamaru,” Dia confessed. “You understand that, right? I love you!”

 

“I kn-know,” Hanamaru cried. Dia loved seeing her vulnerable like that. It was sweet, in a way, to watch the normally calm and smiling Hanamaru be broken into a moaning, begging mess, fucked to the point of tears. Seeing something so intimate only turned Dia on more. She wanted Hanamaru to know that she liked that, and everything else that came with Hanamaru Kunikida. She wanted Hanamaru to know how important that was to her, even if she didn’t always show it.

 

Dia took Hanamaru’s legs in her hands, and without any further guidance, they were being wrapped around Dia’s torso, loosely hanging as Dia dug in deep. Hanamaru gasped and her eyes rolled backward when Dia hit her sweet spot, so Dia kept fucking her there. Hanamaru grew even tighter, and Dia felt herself getting all-too close to climaxing. She wanted Hanamaru to finish first, even if it meant holding back a little (which was her least favorite thing to do).

 

They were both sweating from their exertions and the humidity of the night, but neither of them were exhausted. In fact, as their pleasure swelled, they got even more manic, craving more and more of the warmth they were giving each other. It was almost a feverish kind of energy between them as they both climbed higher and higher.

 

Dia felt Hanamaru’s legs tighten up around her, and her hand went flying into Dia’s hair, undoing Dia’s bun with sheer force. Dia slowed down a bit, but Hanamaru hissed, “Don’t stop, don’t stop! If you stop, I w-won’t forgive you, I mean it!”

 

“Sorry, sorry,” Dia chuckled, even though she hardly had the breath to speak at all. She let Hanamaru hold her tight, even if the feeling of Hanamaru’s heel digging into her lower back was the slightest bit painful. Dia felt the undulations of Hanamaru’s walls against her dick, and she couldn’t stop herself from holding back anymore. Dia was spurred on, knowing that Hanamaru was coming at the same time as her, and kept thrusting, pumping every drop of come she had inside of Hanamaru’s cunt. Hanamaru was taking it like a champ, if her cries of Dia’s name said anything.

 

Dia gave it all she had, until she finally tired out, unable to hold herself up anymore. She rolled onto her side, taking Hanamaru with her, so that she wouldn’t be throwing all of her weight on top of her lover. They kissed, as much as they could when they were breathless. Hanamaru seemed rather spacey, rolling onto her back and staring up at the stars when they pulled away for good.

 

Dia decided to take a peek at the sky, too. She must have been feeling a special type of nirvana that night. She wasn’t worried about somebody discovering them, or about how absolutely messy both of them must have been. She just wanted to make sure she was seeing the same stars that Hanamaru was seeing.

 

“Sorry for spanking you,” Hanamaru said suddenly.

 

Dia’s face flared up. She had almost forgotten. “You’re not sorry, but your fake apology is accepted.”

 

“No, no, I am,” Hanamaru giggled. “You were making me mad, so I took it out on your poor little butt. Can you roll onto your stomach so that I can tell it I’m sorry? Give it a little massage? ...Or did you not mind?”

 

“I certainly minded,” Dia said. Hanamaru blew a raspberry, finding Dia’s hand and holding it. Their clasped fingers rested on the grass. The _wet_ grass... “I just didn’t say so because you were in a sour mood. Might as well not ruin a good thing.”

 

“A ‘good’ thing?”

 

“Y-you know what I mean!”

 

Dia was regretting any attempt at a conversation post-orgasm. That was when she was at her most vulnerable. Dia hated to admit it, but she wasn’t built for being horny. That destroyed every defense she had, and Hanamaru seemed to enjoy those defenses being gone. “Oh, I know what you mean,” Hanamaru purred. Her pointer finger started to trace shapes on Dia’s palm. “You mean...you want babysitter Maru back, huh?”

 

“No. Certainly not.”

 

“Aw, but you said it yourself that you’re needy, Dia-chan-”

 

“I never said that,” Dia spluttered. “I-I _may_ have said-”

 

Hanamaru had already taken off. Dia was doomed. “It’s okay. Why don’t you sit back, and let your onee-chan gently dominate you, nice and slow? And you better do everything she says...’cause otherwise, your butt’s in danger, zura!”

 

“That doesn’t sound gentle to me...”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope the ending isn't too bad lol I kind of rushed to finish this bc I'm not feeling well right now aaand I just wanted to be done with it. I'm overall really happy with the result though! I had a lot of fun writing this and I did some things I had wanted to that just hadn't happened in Holiday Nostalgia. I hope you all enjoyed just as much as I did!


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